


Just Good Friends

by Rosebudwhite



Category: British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Boxing Day, Caught, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Illnesses, Male-Female Friendship, Masturbation, Multi, Picnics, Rain, Rain Sex, Threesome, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-05-08
Packaged: 2018-01-20 05:55:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1499116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosebudwhite/pseuds/Rosebudwhite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lisa meets none other than Tom Hiddleston whilst staying with old friends at Christmas.  He claims he isn’t looking for love but wants to be friends with her.  Can they stay just friends or will this ‘When Harry met Sally’ situation prove unworkable?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Boxing Day Blues

The three of them had known each other since university. They had shared a house for most of their time there, they had a great number of friends in common and often had big meet ups with their alumni annually.

Karen had invited them to spend Boxing Day with her family. Nicola was recently divorced and Lisa was desperate for an excuse not to spend the whole holidays with her own family. However when Karen had said her family, she had forgotten to mention that it was hers and Richard’s extended family, and that they had hired a country estate house in Herefordshire for a three night Christmas break. The others were surprised but both grateful and honoured that Karen and her husband Richard felt them part enough of the family to invite them along.

Lisa had spent Christmas day with her parents who only lived two hours away from the estate, so she arrived on Boxing Day around 11am. When she got to the gates she began to worry that maybe she had the wrong place, however as there was not another building for at least 2 miles in either direction, it had to be right. She sent a quick text to Karen just to make sure ’I’m here, I think, just coming through gates.’

The driveway was long and winding and took her a full five minutes to drive along before a large imposing grey Welsh stone building loomed up ahead of her. Parked outside was Karen’s pale blue VW Bug, along with half a dozen other cars, Lisa let out the sigh of relief she had been holding since she entered the gates.

Karen greeted her at the door and quickly showed her to the room that she would be using. It was one of the smaller rooms on the second floor without an en-suite, but she did not mind, she was only a single; the families were welcome to the larger bedrooms on the first floor. It was a cute little room with a small iron double bed with an antique quilt, a wooden dresser, but no hanging space, floral curtains at the window and an oversized lamp beside the bed. After she had unpacked quickly her wash kit and pyjamas, Karen took her on the grand tour, and as they bumped into people bustling about Karen tried to explain who everyone was, and who else they were expecting to fill this giant mansion.

“So there’s me, Rich and the boys; my mum and dad; my brother, his wife and their two; and my nana. Then we’ve got Rich’s mum and dad; and his big sister’s family and they’ve brought some friends with kids as well, so they’re all over in the coach house. We’re still waiting on his younger sister and her lot, but she’d just had a baby so probably still struggling to get out of the house! Then there’s just Nicola and Lizzie after that. Oh, and Rich’s aunt, that’s his mum’s sister, might be coming with two of her kids, but her son’s been ill, so not too sure if they’ll give it a miss. Don’t all really want Tom’s flu.” 

She would have been better off giving her a family tree.

As they made it back down to the living areas Richard’s younger sister and little family arrived and the relatives instantly bustled about the newly arrived baby in the midst, which left Lisa to explore the house and out in the grounds on her own until lunch was called.

Lunch was a light affair of soups, breads, and salads; the big meal of the day was being saved for evening once everyone had arrived. It passed easily and Lisa sat between Richard’s mum and Karen’s sister in law. They were not intrusive but asked about her work, life and Richard’s mum had more tact than the sister-in-law did when it came to asking about her relationship status. One of the sisters had brought some cinnamon buns and Lisa had brought a couple of her own lemon and lime cheesecakes, which all seemed to go down well.

After lunch, some of the older members of the party broke off and played rounds of bridge and backgammon in the garden room, the children disappeared into the basement of the house where a large games room, play area and makeshift camp had been set up for them to call their own. Some of the parents in the group had organised an afternoon walk around the grounds, so made their way out with walking boots and flasks of tea. Lisa and Karen started on the wine in the drawing room.

They caught up on all the gossip that 200 miles and almost six months apart had given them. There was only so much they could discuss on Facebook when there were one too many mutual friends involved. At around 2pm as Karen refilled their glasses they were surprised when, despite the uncertainty, Richard’s aunt arrived with Tom and Emma. Karen left her on the sofa to greet them. It was nowhere near her place to greet them, so Lisa took to her glass again as Karen bustled about the newcomers. However, when she heard her name mentioned and Karen turned and pointed to her, her ears pricked up. She did wonder what trouble she was being blamed for.

As they came into the room, Karen remarked, “I was just saying how your hot toddies were infamous at uni. They were the only way I got through second year finals.” Lisa nodded and smiled in light of this praise. “Tom here, is in huge need of one, he’s back at work in two days and needs to shift this flu as soon as possible.” As her brain caught up with the conversation, a pale shivering figure was led onto the sofa at right angles to her own.

Richard’s aunt, Diana, remarked, “He was most insistent on coming, as he hasn’t seen most of the family since last Christmas, so I can only apologise profusely if he gives it to everyone.” Lisa nodded in understanding before taking another, this time longer, glance at the ailing man beside her.

Lisa liked films, she was a proud geek, and so she could not hide her confusion as she exchanged glances with her friend. Karen saw what she saw and grabbed her arm and remarked in a slightly more insistent tone, “Why don’t you and I head to the kitchen and whip him up one of those hot toddies we were talking about?” She could only follow in her friend’s vice grip to the kitchen.

Once out of earshot and in the safety of the kitchen, Lisa started “What? Who? Why?” She could talk only in interrogatives.

“Before you completely wig out, this is a family gathering, everyone here is completely aware of who he is. He is Richard’s cousin. Understand? He is simply Rich’s cousin. Right?”

Lisa nodded, she understood. He was not Tom Hiddleston, gorgeous megastar, he was Richard’s cousin. She dare not say anything else further, Karen would probably smack her face to keep her calm. She had done that once or twice in the past and she had a nasty right-hander. “So let’s make this drink and get back out there, I’ll introduce you properly if you promise to keep your fan girl hidden for 24 hours. Deal?” Lisa nodded again.

She made the hot toddy on automatic pilot; a double scotch, a tablespoon of honey, two of lemon juice, a teaspoon of sugar, half a teaspoon of mixed spice and topped up in a mug with hot water. As she gave it a last stir, Karen placed a soft hand on her elbow.

She turned and looked into her friends eyes where she saw compassion and a twinkle of something else. “Of course you do know he is single…”

Now it was Lisa’s turn to threaten the right hook. “Don’t you dare! The poor guy is sick, the last thing he needs is you trying to set him up, and even less so with someone like me.”

“You’re right of course. I wonder if Nicola would be interested…!”

“You are incorrigible!” She grabbed the mug and made her way carefully back to the drawing room with her precious delivery. Karen peeled off saying she was going to get him a blanket from a bedroom. Seeing the prone man alone on the couches whilst the rest of the family continued with their festivities, she chanced an opportunity to approach him without Karen’s needed introduction.

His eyes flicked up at her as she crouched down in front of him and held out the mug. “Here, it’ll be too hot to drink straight away, but don’t leave it to go cold. It’s horrid when it’s cold.” He muttered hoarse thanks and shifted up on his elbows to be able to take the mug without spilling. As he got himself comfortable again, she allowed herself the chance to look over the man who had fuelled several daydreams and at least one very heat inducing night dream. The first thing she thought was that he looked hollow and drained, so far away from the man in the red carpet photos. She knew he had been doing theatre for a month or so, and that was tiring in itself, but obviously, the short Christmas break had given his body’s immune system the chance to relax and had in turn let this flu in. His eyes were dark, his short curly hair was lank around his neck and temples, a scruff of a beard had begun to form where he had obviously not shaved during his illness. His skin looked almost grey and every few moments he would shiver involuntarily. He took the mug from her, his long fingers, the ones that were normally so prevalent in those daydreams, were weak and cold. He looked up at her again and muttered another thanks. She wanted to talk to him, wanted to fulfil the main part of those fantasies, to discuss Shakespeare and Aristotle, to debate Marvel over DC, to discover his real hopes and dreams and not just the ones he revealed in the press. However, he was sick, he was barely conscious, let alone in any state to woo her with Sonnets. 

Therefore, when Karen reappeared with a large, scarlet, crocheted blanket she took her leave and retreated back into her own seat.

Karen sat down too and they continued their previous conversations, however at a slightly lower tone, both aware of Tom’s vicinity. Whenever there was a break in the conversation, one or other of them encouraged him to drink up, he did so without much fuss, and by the time the mug was empty some of his pallor had returned close to normal. As the girls continued to chat, she noticed that his head had fallen to one side and he was snoring gently under the blanket. It was then, as the grandfather clock in the hall chimed 3:45pm, that Nicola finally arrived with her daughter Lizzie.

The friends reunited in the hallway, the dozing film star in their midst forgotten. Lizzie insisted on Auntie Karen and Auntie Lisa cuddles before she had even taken her shoes off. Struggling to peel the four year old from her, Lisa gave up and happily carried her down to the children’s den. There they were greeted by Karen’s two younger sons, Ollie and Flynn, who fought for the right to hold Lizzie’s hand first. Laughing it off and watching them running off to join the growing mountain of cousins, the three friends felt the sudden need to embrace and thank their good fortune for knowing one another.

Lisa offered to get a glass of wine ready for Nicola as Karen showed her the way to the bedrooms. Passing back through entrance hall, her head snapped round as she heard her name called from the drawing room. Tom was awake again, and now sitting up further on the sofa and looking a lot more human than when he had first arrived. She looked around the room as if she either had not heard it correctly or misheard who had called her. When no one else paid her any heed she realised it must have been him.

“It is Lisa, isn’t it? Sorry, I did not hear your name properly earlier. You’re a friend of Karen’s?”

She moved over to him and perched on the edge of her old seat. “Yes, yes, sorry, I’m Lisa.”

He held out his hand, she took it feeling warmth from both where it had been resting under the blanket, and the toddy and the nap had done their work on his insides. “I’m Tom.”

What did she say now, what could she say, a simple ‘Hi Tom’ would have been the simplest but half her brain said ‘but that would show you don’t know who he is’, the other half argued that maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea. However, her pause told him all he needed to know.

“But I guess you already knew that.”

Her face changed scarlet to match the blanket on his lap. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.

“Don’t apologise, I can’t expect anything less these days.” As she fought to think of something else to say, he filled the gap again. “I just wanted to say thank you for the drink, and wondered if there was any chance of a refill or do I have to wait four hours?”

“Of course, luckily it’s not like lemsips, however the alcohol content might restrict you from operating any heavy machinery in the near future.” Oh, good quip Lisa. She was proud of that one.

He let out one of his famous half laugh-half giggles, which ended in a cough “Ehehehe-ahem, I don’t think I’m in any shape for that. Might manage a game of backgammon later against Aunt Vi, but that’s probably as far as it will go.” Laughing too, she picked up his mug from earlier and gave him a smile and a promise that she would return shortly.

When she reached the kitchen, she found Richard and his brother-in-law fixing drinks for others. With quick hellos, she moved to the kettle and began the process of making Tom’s drink once again and gathering a glass of wine for Nicola. Whilst she replayed the conversation in her head, and mentally planned out several more possible future ones, Richard’s deep voice interrupted. “Don’t get too enamoured. He’s an arse in real life.” Her head whipped around.

“Sorry?”

“Our lovely Tom in there. Don’t get any cute ideas. You’re a great girl Lisa, a brilliant friend to Karen, great godmother to the boys, I don’t want you to get hurt. So don’t, just don’t.”

“I wasn’t, I was just getting drinks.”

“Yeah? And in your mind? Is it a white wedding?” With anyone else, she would have been insulted but she had known Richard as long as she had known Karen. It had been him who had come and collected her from Plymouth train station when she turned up out of the blue after a previously bad break up. “I’ve seen what his career has done to this family and I’ve seen what his career has done to his previous girlfriends. If you have any notions, leave them at the door. I’ve nothing against being friendly, but he’s a workaholic, self-obsessed arse and will flirt with anyone and everyone, so don’t think you’re special.” She knew what he said was probably right.


	2. Evening Time

Sitting two feet away was film star, Tom Hiddleston. Two glasses of wine down and her cheeks were flushed and hot. Lisa could barely keep her end of the conversation up. For their part, her two best friends in the world, Nicola and Karen, were being very understanding and only asking her to contribute simple answers to the odd closed question. Yet all she could think of was how her friend had deceived her by omission. She was almost angry but at the same time she could not be too furious, she understood her friend’s reasoning for keeping the connection to him secret, Lisa would have freaked out sooner, and probably embarrassed herself more. As for Tom, he lay lethargically on the sofa, dozing fitfully for most of the afternoon. Every now and then his mother, sister or another concerned relative would come and check him over.

As the darkness of the evening drew in Emma joined the girls on the sofas, bringing with her another bottle of wine, whilst Richard and his father ended their game of cribbage and began to draw the curtains. At the sound of the chains moving along their runners, Tom stirred and sat up blinking. Groggily he asked no one in particular, “Have I been out for long?”

Emma replied, “Do you remember Mum coming in at five and Lisa making you another toddy?”

“Just, I think.”

“Then it’s been about an hour.”

He groaned and rolled his shoulders back, despite them making the most unpleasant crunching sound, Lisa was mesmerised as his long limbs unfolded and stretched above his head. As he let out another groan, he remarked, “I feel awful, I was meant to be coming to see everyone and I’ve just ended up inconveniencing you all and being a burden.”

Richard poked the fire and added, “Nah, don’t worry, just the vision of you has kept Lisa here entertained.”

Lisa’s stomach lurched and the blood rushed to her face. Everyone else laughed at her discomfort. Though for what little it did to her pride, she noted Tom did not.

Before anyone had a chance to embarrass her further, the call came for dinner. The family had only half-cheated; it was a home cooked meal for 31 people, just cooked by the hired caterers. As they entered the large dining room, they saw that there were four round tables made up, each seating eight, another fire roared away in here, and the heavy navy blue drapes kept the warm air inside and the winter chill out. Karen’s mum seemed to have taken charge of proceedings, “We thought we’d have us oldies at this end,” she pointed to the table nearest the door, “children on that one by the window, you, young single folk can have that end, couples in the middle and wherever there’s space.”

Nicola hooked Lisa’s arm “Ooh, young and single. I like that, it’s been a while.” They reached the indicated table just as Emma did, with Tom leaning heavily on her arm. Karen bustled her brother, Ian, and his wife further around so she could take the seat next to Nicola, with Richard on her other side. Which left Lisa next to Emma, and Emma next to Tom.

When the delicate starters of scallops and quails eggs in a hollandaise sauce were placed in front of them, all looked on eagerly.

“Any suitable words?” Ian looked around at them all expectantly.

“Not grace then?” Karen remarked knowing that only half the table had any religious affiliation.

“How about _‘comede, bibe, gaude’_?” Lisa lifted her glass.

“And for those of us who are English teachers rather than Latin ones?” Nicola looked at her neighbour exasperatedly. Lisa bit her lip by way of apology, at least it got Nicola back for the ‘joke’ she made earlier about Keats’ works, which Lisa had not understood.

“Eat, drink, and be merry.” Tom translated on her behalf and raised his glass and the others did likewise. “ _comede, bibe, gaude_!”

After they had each taken a sip, Lisa asked curiously, “You speak Latin?”

“Studied at Cambridge. You are a teacher?” They all tucked in to the steaming food in front of them.

“Yes, I specialise in Classics but also teach Religion and Philosophy at A-Level,” she answered softly leaning forward to see him around Emma.

“Ah, so you’re the lady to come to with the big ‘why’ questions,” Tom said with a slight chuckle. Then with little more than a brief pause and nose crinkle, he leant forward himself and quoted “ _timendi causa est nescire_.”

This made her relax in his presence for the first time and she actually chuckled. “Seneca. You know Seneca?”

He grinned, “Yes, though I prefer the Greeks to the Romans, my Latin is passable.”

“Do you want to swap seats Tom? You don’t have to peer around me then.” Emma quipped.

“No, no, it’s fine.” He gave Lisa a quick wink before starting on his own food.

After that, the conversation flowed around the table. They talked of everything and nothing, Nicola and Lisa whinged over the students in their schools, Emma shared stories from her latest theatre production, whilst Karen spoke of the poems she had recently published. Tom joined in every conversation yet said very little of his own life and work, so much for everything Richard had said about him being self-centred she was not seeing it. Lisa was really beginning to enjoy herself and the short conversations she had shared with Tom were icing on a delightful evening of cake.

When the mains were cleared away Ollie, Flynn, and Lizzie came over to their table. As Lizzie climbed into her mum’s lap the boys argued over who was going into their own mum’s. Lisa called over to offer her own and incited another argument over who was going to get her. In the end, Karen had Ollie and Lisa held Flynn.

“Why don’t you have any children Auntie Lisa?” Flynn looked up at his godmother.

This bluntness flummoxed her. Karen saved her “You need a mummy and a daddy for a baby, Flynn. Lisa hasn’t found someone to be a daddy with her yet.”

“But Lizzie only has her mummy?”

“True, she only lives with her mummy now, but she does have a daddy she sees at weekends too.”

"Can anyone be a daddy?"

Lisa snorted briefly, “Well, anyone can be, it’s just I’ve not found the right one for me yet.”

“Well she can’t have a daddy who’s all stinky like that man who came to our house last year,” piped in Ollie holding his nose. Lisa matched the young boy’s actions. She had found that man’s alternative lifestyle intriguing at first, and then it just became embarrassing.

Flynn thought for a moment, and added, “That tall man we met at the beach was nice; he could have been a good daddy.”

“Unfortunately he wanted to be with lots of other mummies too, not just me.” The women shared a collective wince as they remembered that betrayal. “Besides, I have my hands full looking after you three to have time for my own children.” She ruffled Flynn’s hair.

"And not just them. I wouldn’t have gotten through all the Russell stuff if it hadn’t been for you and your lasagne care parcels!" Nicola squeezed her arm, and brought Lisa close to tears with her kind words.

"Little mother hen Lisa. Long may you fuss and worry over us all." Richard raised his glass and their half of the table toasted her. Glancing to Tom, she saw him smile at her, a genuine look of something. Admiration maybe? All she knew was that it was her unofficial job to look after those in need. Her friends had needed her, and then today Tom had. She could not just walk by it was not her nature.

Soon the children got bored and became distracted by the puzzle and colouring sheets that had appeared on their own table.

When the hired waiter announced dessert all eyes in the room perked up, the full stomachs making mental room for a small little something. “Tonight we have Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, strawberry gateaux, or ice cream,”

Karen’s mum then added, “or there is a few of the cinnamon buns or a little bit left of the cheesecake from lunch.” The waiter wheeled the trolley to the middle of the room, near to Tom.

Tom looked over and groaned. Emma asked, “What’s wrong, you normally love puddings”

"I do, but I don’t think I can face anything too rich."

"Try Lisa’s cheesecake. It’s lemon and lime, full of citrus, practically medicinal!” Nicola laughed.

"You made the cheesecake?" Tom raised his eyebrows at her; Lisa bit her lip and nodded. "Well if it’s anywhere as good as your drinks how can I say no?"

Watching someone eat her food should not be this erotic. He took each small spoonful and tested each with his lips first to make sure his poorly stomach could take it. Then he took the spoon into his mouth, slowly twisting it, whilst sucking and pulling the soft mixture off with his tongue. Her own portion of gateaux and a large glass of dessert wine disappeared quite quickly as she needed something to distract herself from constantly watching him. Tom made it halfway through the slice before declaring he could not fit any more in.

\-----

“Stinky man and tall bloke. Those are my options, girls. I’ve hit 30, that’s it now… Fuck it.” They were back in the drawing room with large brandies and the roaring fire warming them. The children had been put to bed by grandparents, which left everyone else free to enjoy the hospitality. Lisa was ranting at her friends before realised the alcohol had made her an angry drunk.

"Not going to chance your luck with Tom then?" Karen spread her legs out towards the fire.

"Not worth even trying, I’m filing him in the same box as Mark and Poddy."

"But they’re gay."

"Exactly. Great blokes, lovely to talk to, yet zero chance of getting laid."

"But…"

"No buts. If you want to have a go Nicola you are more than welcome but I’m not going to even try."

Emma walked over and plonked herself down next to Karen. “What are we talking about?”

"Nothing.” The three replied in unison.

Emma laughed. “So was in men in general, or just my brother?”

Feeling the need to change the subject Nicola burst out with, “Time for Pictionary!”

The four girls played a couple of rounds before they started to attract more interest from the other guests. In the end, they had four teams of five, and the drawing got more and more frantic and less and less identifiable. When no one was able to even draw ‘armoured tank’ let alone guess it, their collective efforts were deemed funny enough by Karen to be photographed and posted to Facebook. Karen also decided to snap a few group shots of people. Tom suggested a photo of himself with Lisa and Nicola as they were non-family members and obviously neither wanted to disappoint him. It turned into half a dozen shots and he had his arm around her in each and every one, and even kissed her cheek in the last. Lisa did all she could not to just snuggle into his side. He must have sensed her turmoil as he looked over to her, pulling his arm tighter around her. He asked if she was okay and all she could do was nod and stare into his eyes. Beaming back at her she felt her heart melt before a badly timed coughing fit overtook him.

Shortly after several of the older people called it a night, Tom’s mum Diana suggested that maybe Tom needed to head up to bed too. He agreed quite willingly and Emma offered to help get him to bed. That seemed to signal the end of the night and everyone took to the stairs. Reaching the top of the last staircase Lisa watched ahead of her as Tom rested his head on Emma’s shoulder as she walked him to his bedroom. Lisa’s heart felt like lead in her chest, she wanted that closeness with him. She wanted him. She was not going to lie; she did want him, despite her earlier tirade. She ducked into her own bedroom, slammed the door behind her, and leant heavily against it. “Fuck it, fuck men, fuck him. Who needs them? Who needs Tom?” Her eyes welled with tears and she slid to the floor, hugging her knees. She added quietly to herself, “Me.”


	3. The Morning After

As Lisa carried her bag down the stairs, she was lost in her daydream again. To spend just those few hours in Tom’s company last night had been bliss and she was sure it was a memory she could tell her children about one day, that is if she ever had children. Yet it had not stopped her mind wandering as she had laid in bed in the dark. Her mind had played through various scenarios but yet when the knock had not come on her door late in the night and he had not appeared to whisk her off her feet she fell into a bit of a depression before sleep finally claimed her. He was who he was, she was no one, and she was just a random person he had met in the course of his life that was full of millions of random people. She had gained no more than those fans who had stood at the stage door of the Donmar; a hug, a photo, but that was it. If she was ever lucky enough to meet him again he might acknowledge her as his cousin’s wife’s friend, might remember last night, but she doubted that meeting would even happen.

As she reached the last landing, voices below stopped her. There was Karen and Richard, waving goodbye to some of their collective brothers and sisters, and she spied Nicola trying to put Lizzie’s shoes and coat on, despite the little girl’s desperate cries and arms clinging onto Ollie, not wanting to leave either the house or her ‘boyfriend’. As Lisa inwardly giggled at this, Emma suddenly appeared at Nicola’s side and after giving Nicola a half hug and a whisper, she bent down and chatted to Lizzie. At which Lizzie responded kindly and allowed her Mummy’s new friend to put on her shoes.

Lisa’s heart was suddenly in her throat, if Emma was still here that meant… He was, he was behind her. “Good morning, did you sleep well?” His voice was hoarse and she realised these were possibly the first words he had spoken since waking.

“I did, yes, thank you, did you? How are you feeling this morning?” Lisa asked. She looked him over; the sleep had obviously helped, as he seemed to have a little more energy than yesterday, but still looked pale.

“Soooo much better, thank you. Karen was right, your toddies are magical. I will definitely be calling on you next time I’m ill.” Her poor little heart gave a little flip. “Are you heading down or staying on the landing all day?” He motioned to her bag.

“Erm, yes, I was just running through my head to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything.” Nice save.

As they walked down the stairs, Diana spotted her son, “Hurry up slowcoach! I need to make sure you get on your train before we head off back home. I don’t want Emma driving when it’s dark.”

“Yes Mum.” He winked at Lisa by his side and sped up down the stairs, taking the last couple two at a time.

As he reached the bottom, Karen looked from Tom to Lisa and back again as if she had had a brainwave. “Are you going back into London?” Tom nodded. “Look, Lisa will be driving into the city, why doesn’t she give you a lift?” Lisa stopped two steps from the bottom herself in shock. Share a car with him, alone for hours, back home… Shit. “That way Diana doesn’t have to worry about you falling asleep before Paddington.”

“Would you mind, dear? It would be a huge relief to know that someone is with him.” His mum came and touched her on her arm in encouragement.

“I am not five years old!” Tom looked as incensed as he could with his pale complexion and black rimmed eyes.

“No but you are recovering from the flu, and you know how sleepy you get so I would just rather you weren’t alone. Lisa can look after you.”

And so it was settled without her saying a word. She said her goodbyes to her friends, new and old, and left with a promise to invite Emma, via Facebook, to their next meet up. As she gathered her own coat, scarf, and gloves, she watched Tom being fussed over by his mother. Diana pulled down a black beanie hat onto his head, a feat in itself considering their near foot difference in height, telling him to keep his ears covered, and to call her as soon as he was home. With further lingering hugs and goodbyes they made their way slowly out to Lisa’s small Honda. She put their overnight bags in the boot and climbed into the driver’s seat as he gave one last hug to his mum. She swallowed hard as he pulled himself into her car; this was going to be a long journey in more ways than one. As the doors shut, his cologne filled the cabin, and her overactive imagination ran wild.

As she turned on the ignition, the radio kicked in to Ken Bruce on Radio 2. “Sorry if it’s too loud. If you want to sleep, feel free. I can turn the radio off.”

“No, it’s nice, I like music.” He shifted down in the passenger chair slightly, and struggled to get his long frame comfortable within the space. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the motion of the car as she drove them out of the village and towards the A-roads.

\-----

“You utter cock-bastard!” Lisa pressed down on her horn as hard as she could and swerved the car to the left. Tom’s eyes flew open. They had reached a junction with the A40 outside of Gloucester and apparently had just been cut up. As they got underway again, Lisa looked towards her passenger red faced. “Sorry about that.”

Adjusting himself again, he remarked he was okay. “Healthy language you have there.”

“Sorry, random words stream out of my mouth when I’m angry. Or tired, or bored, or nervous. Sorry.”

Tom chuckled. “It’s fine.” He blinked and looked out onto the road. “How long do you think it’ll take us?”

“Another two and half hours or so into London, if the traffic’s not too bad, then just any extra time allowing me to get lost finding your place.”

“You’ll be fine, I can direct you.”

“Just don’t fall asleep at a crucial bit then.”

They sat in silence for a while until the radio began the opening bars of Prince’s Kiss. Tom suddenly perked up and began to whisper along. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his body moving very subtly, as if he was itching to dance. She could not help but smile to herself. Tom must have caught it because he began to sing a little louder, as much his ailing voice would allow.

“You’re going to ruin your voice.”

" _You don’t have to be rich, to be my girl._ "

“I’m serious…”

" _You don’t have to be cool, to rule my world._ "

She just shook her head and kept her eyes on the road as he finished the chorus by blowing a kiss across to her. The blush spread across her cheeks and all the way down her chest. She could feel the heat emanating from herself like a furnace. Suddenly the scarf and gloves she had worn to keep out the December chill were stifling. Tom was a master at this, he just continued relentless.

“Not feeling well yourself, darling? _I want to be your fantasy…_ ”

“You know what you’re doing. Stop it.”

“Just a little fun. Besides, I don’t normally get to spend this amount of time with a woman on her own. _We could have a good time_.”

“Really? Because I’m pretty sure there are about a million of them queuing up for you.”

“Yeah…” She glanced across quickly at him, there was miniscule drop in his mood, before the chorus peaked again and he blurted out “ _I just want your extra time and your…_ ” 

This time he did not ‘kiss’.

“Look, I’m sorry; did I say something out of turn? I’m really very insensitive and gobby and…”

“Why don’t you have any luck with men?”

“Sorry?” She did not know where that one had come from.

“You said last night that you don’t have much luck, keep getting bad ones. What’s wrong with them?”

“You mean apart from the prevalent BO and the infidelity?”

“Yes, okay, apart from that?”

“I don’t know. I mean when I’m with someone I can have fun but I’m fairly self-sufficient now. I have good friends in the city I go out with and obviously Karen and Nicola. My family are only down the M4. I love my job and fill my free time with all the things I want to do without worrying about what someone else thinks of it. So I think unless someone ticks all the boxes as ‘the one’ I don’t tend to put the effort in because I don’t need a man to help me live day to day. God that makes me sound awful, doesn’t it?”

“A little! But how do you know someone isn’t the one, if you’re not giving them the chance?”

That made her think for a moment. “I guess I’m waiting for that spark, the kiss that turns me to jelly, and the man who sees into my soul without a big elbow prompting him to look.”

“What would he find; if he looked into your soul?”

“That I do not know.” She saw him nod his head. “What about you? I bet it’s hard to find someone who’s not just after you, for you, for famous you.”

“That doesn’t quite make sense, but I know what you mean. To be honest I have given up too. It’s not like I’m going to meet someone in a club or a coffee shop and she’s going to be oblivious to who I am but we’ll still hit it off and I can blissfully live two separate lives. We could go and raise children in a big old country pile, and I’ll go off doing my day job and then come home all the while keeping them out of the spotlight. That is never going to happen. And meeting someone at ‘work’ is even more of a danger. I can see that would just be a relationship based on mutual furtherance, whoever’s star was on the rise would be supporting the other.”

“So would you rather have the fame or a family?”

“I can’t say both?”

“No, because you’ve just said both won’t work.”

“I wouldn’t give up acting for the world. I need to be out there, on stage, in front of a camera, being all those wonderful characters. But…”

“But…?”

“But fame, fame I can leave, and yes I know I’ve obviously reached a point where I can’t have one without the other. When I signed up for Coriolanus I really thought it would give me some downtime, I could just focus on the acting, being free to explore Shakespeare’s words in the tiny theatre. But that’s backfired, spectacularly.”

Lisa gave him a weak smile. She had seen the press, the twitter gossip from the stage door; she knew what he was talking about. “What if you did meet someone, a non-oblivious, non-crazy, non-actress woman, what would you do? Someone who gave you a jelly kiss, would you give up work for them, or hope they’d fit around you?”

“Are you propositioning me?” He laughed and she turned red, again.

She stammered out, “I was just asking, I mean, I wasn’t talking about me, especially, I like you, at least the non-celebrity bit I’ve seen so far, and we’re getting on well here aren’t we, I just wondered…”

His eyes narrowed at her, she assumed he was measuring up whether she was being serious. “I don’t think that would be a wise move for either of us, would it?” He looked over at her, she felt more redness rising. She had forgotten what not being permanently embarrassed around him felt like. She pursed her lips, dammit Lisa, you blundering idiot. Yet he continued, “But that wouldn’t stop us getting coffee or something, sometime if you’re around when I am.”

"Really? Not just saying that to placate me?"

"I wouldn’t insult you like that. You really are an interesting woman, just not in that way, for me, at least not at this time."

She bit her lip and turned her full concentration back on the road. The conversation after that was stilted and sparse but not unfriendly.

As they got to Swindon, she announced that she needed a break and some more petrol. He was happy to comply, luckily, they found a retail park with a Sainsbury’s, so decided to stop and grab a bite to eat for lunch as well.

Nearing the doors, she saw him suddenly tense at a group of young girls who would be his normal target fans. Glancing up at his face she calculated that with the beanie pulled down as it was, plus his still pale complexion, and the fact that they were in the middle of Swindon, the last place anyone would suspect him to be, he would probably be safe. She pushed her arm through his and pulled him on into the store. She whispered asking if he was okay. He just nodded and gave her a pathetic looking smile. Lisa decided she needed to take the lead here. Thrusting a basket into his hands, she grabbed some sandwiches from the meal deal section, crisps and some orange juice, for vitamin C. She then pulled him to the fruit and veg and picked up a bunch of grapes. Then a thought struck her.

“Do you have any food at home for tonight?”

“You are still trying to proposition me, aren’t you?” He laughed.

“Oh, for gawd sake, no. I just need to know you’ve going to have a hot meal when you get home.”

“There’s some pasta and stuff, I can whip up a bowl.”

“Are you sure? We can pick up something now…”

“You really are a mother hen, aren’t you? Worse than my own mum.”

“Sorry.” She mumbled mutely. “She asked me to look after you, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

“I’ll be fine; maybe just some more lempsips or the ingredients for your toddies would be an idea.”

She smiled. “Let’s head down to the pharmacy aisle then.”

By the time they reached the checkouts, the basket was a lot fuller than it needed to be. Along with some mixed spice and honey, a couple of bags of Minstrels, Jaffa cakes and a giant bag of Doritos had made their way in there. ‘Proper sustenance’, he had called them. He seemed a lot happier as they made their out of the shop and on their way back to the car, until they heard the girls.

_“Are sure?” “Yes, it’s him, look at those legs, I’d know them anywhere.” “Quick get your phone out, I want a picture.” “Are you going up?” “No, you go.” “No, you go.” “Who’s the girl?” “Isn’t that his sister?”_

“Okay?” She whispered. He nodded and whispered back to bear with him. He squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath, and he turned round to the group and smiled at them, his famous mega-watt smile. And in that moment she saw it. His life. Why he would never have that quiet pile in the country, why he could not have a normal family life and why she could not have him. 

After the girls had had their fill of photos and hugs, they were allowed to depart. He had been the perfect gentleman, he’d introduced her as his friend, ‘Looking after me, while I get over this darn cold.’ Climbing back into the car she took off her coat this time and made sure all the snacks were within arm’s reach. He looked tired again.

“Why don’t you sleep for a bit longer? It’ll be at least another hour before we even get within the M25.”

“Thanks. Could I use your coat as a pillow? I don’t want to get a cricked neck.”

“Sure.” 

And that was the limit of the conversation until they reached Brentford and the change in speed woke him up. “Where are we?”

“Just coming off the M4 onto A4 proper. You are going to have to direct me now.”

“Excellent, head round Hammersmith, and towards Shepherds Bush.”

Within half an hour, they were there, outside his building. He began to gather his bits, and when she made no move to get out herself, he looked over at her confused. “Not coming in for a cuppa?”

“I just thought…” She stammered.

“Ehehehe, I need you to show me how to make a toddy.”

“Only if you’re sure…” she bit her lip.

“Don’t.”

“What?”

“Don’t build this, or me, up to be more than it is. You are not the first woman to say she likes me, and for me to have to disappoint them. I like you; I want us to be friends, if you would have me?”

She chewed on her lip further. The chance to spend time in his company, but to be forever frustrated. What did she really want from him? Could she be just his friend? “Why, why would you want to be my friend? I’m nobody.”

He smiled and took her hand in his, “Because of toddies, and Seneca, and cheesecakes, and armoured tanks, and that really silly thing you do with your knees when you sit down.” She watched his fingers interlace with hers and smiled back. “Besides, I need to find out if you are a biter, a sucker or a peeler.”

Her eyes flew open, “What?!”

"Jaffa cakes! Come on.” And with one swift movement he bounded out of the car.


	4. To The Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Several weeks after meeting Lisa, Tom and his friend, Benedict Cumberbatch find themselves in a spot of bother leaving the Donmar

“We are both fit men, how are they even keeping up?”

“Don’t ask, just run!”

_____

They ran around the bend, Benedict grabbed Tom’s arm and pulled him towards the closest restaurant. “Pizza Express? Really?”

“Do you have a better idea?” Benedict leant heavily on the glass door. “Because if you’re after high end, I’m afraid The Savoy is another 5 minutes run away.”

“No, it’s fine.” Tom followed on after his friend.

They managed to close the door behind them before the first girl rounded the corner. The restaurant was relatively quiet, the early covers long gone and the 9pm ones just finishing up. The waiter greeted them eagerly and ushered them towards a table near the window. Tom stopped him and, whilst pointing to table further back, quietly explained their situation. Before they had a chance to sit down Benedict tapped Tom’s arm. They watched two girls break from the pack and peer into the window to see if the men were in there. When they then tried to come in, to the actors’ eternal gratitude, the waiter turned them away.

As they sat down, both men exhaled deeply. “Nice bunch of fans you have there, Tom.”

“Not just mine it would seem, they’ve never been that bad before. I need a drink.” They each ordered a beer from the waiter before settling into a quiet easiness after the kerfuffle of their escape. A text alert from Tom’s phone interrupted their melancholy. Beep beep beep.

_LISA > Evening Mr H – hope tonight went well, and enjoy living your highlife. Just spare a thought for those who are home alone on a Friday night snuggled into their onesie with only Into Darkness and a box of Jaffa cakes for company. That’ll be me, by the way._

Tom chuckled and turned to his dining partner, “We’re saved.”

“Hmmm?” Benedict peered over Tom’s shoulder at the phone message. “A friend?”

“Fast becoming a very good one, in fact. I’m going to ask her to pick us up.”

“We can just wait them out, or get a taxi later on.” Benedict fiddled with his napkin. He did not like the idea of imposing on anyone, least of a young woman who’d have to drive alone across London at this time of night. He told Tom as much.

“She can handle herself, besides she owes me a favour at the moment, after I got her tickets to the show last week.”

_TOM > Hey darling, sorry to drag you away from your nerdgasm, a friend and I are in a spot of bother, any chance you can come and pick us up?_

_LISA > What have you gotten yourself into? No, don’t answer that. Where are you?_

_TOM > Pizza Express on Bow Street. You are a sweetheart; I’ll keep you in Jaffa cakes for a month._

_LISA > Fine, it’s not like I’ve not seen this film a hundred times already. I’ll be there as soon as Google maps allows._

___The waiter came over to take their order; Benedict looked to Tom, “Are we going to be here long, is it worth ordering?”_ _ _

___“Shouldn’t be more than 20 minutes, but she’ll take her time just to prove a point.”_ _ _

___So Benedict ordered himself a calzone, before Tom added, “I’ll just have a Four Seasons, and can I get a… oh an Il Padrino with extra jalapeños, to take away?”_ _ _

_________ _ _

___Lisa pulled her Honda into the small loading bay directly outside the restaurant, luckily at this time of night the roads were practically dead, though the pavements were heaving with revellers. However, she did note that on this part of the street there seemed to be a higher proportion of young women to your average Covent Garden patron. She pulled out her phone and gave Tom’s number a quick ring._ _ _

___He answered without ceremony, “Hey, where are you?”_ _ _

___“Right outside.” She could see his face appear in the window of the restaurant and give her a quick wave. He hung up; Lisa put her own phone back in its holster before realising that the car was a bit of a mess, she tried to sweep the empty cola bottles and tissues under the passenger seat. She was still bent over when both the passenger and back nearside doors opened. Tom slid into the space next to her and she smiled at him, remembering the trip that had brought them together only 2 months ago. Yes, she still harboured feelings for him; he still made her stomach flip every time he was near. However, she was starting to control it; he was such a pleasure to be around, once she had gotten over the initial shock that he actually wanted to spend time with her each time they met._ _ _

___“Good evening damsels, your knight in shining armour has arrived.”_ _ _

___She did not get a chance to turn around to see his companion before Tom was handing her a pizza box. “Thank you so much for this, it’s not Jaffa cakes, but you eat too much chocolate as it is.”_ _ _

___Lisa lifted the lid, chicken and chillies, her favourite; she could not believe he had remembered. She passed the box back to him, and then as he fastened his seatbelt, she asked, “So what’s the drama this time?”_ _ _

___A smooth voice from behind her answered in Tom’s stead, “A group of overenthusiastic young ladies followed us out of the theatre.”_ _ _

___She whipped around in her chair as fast as the seatbelt would allow. Tom was making a habit of this. After the disaster of introducing her to her hero, Mark Gatiss, the previous week in the theatre, and now Benedict bloody Cumberbatch was in the back of her car; Tom’s friends were going to be the death of her. She was about to gush over her shoulder when a slap on the thigh from Tom brought her back to reality._ _ _

___“Oi! Keep your vapid fangirl in check, please? We’re already escaping one mob, don’t need another one.” Tom pointed to the group of fans starting to approach her car like a pack of zombies from a film._ _ _

___“Okay, okay, sorry. It’s very nice to meet you.” Turning back to face the wheel she asked, “Where am I headed?”_ _ _

___“Just back to mine is fine, Ben only lives around the corner from me.” Tom peered into the crowd before adding, “And you might want to hurry before them takes down your registration number.”_ _ _

___That was enough incentive. She put the car into gear and pulled away from the kerb, watching the group of fans retreat from view in the rear view mirror._ _ _

_________ _ _

___“Drink?” Benedict held the bottle of red wine over the third glass in the row in front of him. “It’s a lovely 2012 Merlot.”_ _ _

___“Shouldn’t, going to have to drive home again in a bit.” She took a bite out of the slice of pizza she was eating._ _ _

___Tom picked up his own before remarking, “It’s Friday night; you don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow do you?”_ _ _

___“Are you suggesting a sleepover?” She shut the pizza box lid, despite still being a little hungry, she tried not to look like too much of a glutton in front of Tom._ _ _

___“Why not?” Tom nodded to Benedict, who filled the glass up regardless._ _ _

___“Because you know why, we’ve discussed this.”_ _ _

___Ignoring her, Tom pushed the glass into her hand and winked at her before heading to the sofa._ _ _

___She rolled her eyes in defiance but knew that it was she who was attracted to him, not the other way round, as he constantly reminded her. Now as long as she didn’t drink too much and make a fool of herself._ _ _

_________ _ _

___Two glasses later and she had managed to convince them to spill the beans on several co-stars and for Tom to recite his favourite Henry V monologue._ _ _

___“Bravo!” Lisa and Benedict cheered as Tom bowed to his small audience._ _ _

___“Your turn Ben.” Tom retrieved his glass and took a seat next to Lisa on the sofa._ _ _

___Benedict pushed himself out of the armchair and stood in the space vacated by Tom. “Ladies choice. What would you like?”_ _ _

___“Am I allowed to say ‘something clever’ from Sherlock?”_ _ _

___Benedict looked apologetic, “You can ask but I’m afraid I do tend to forget those as soon as they say cut.”_ _ _

___Tom elbowed Lisa before asking “Didn’t we actually interrupt your Star Trek viewing?”_ _ _

___“Indeed you did.” Despite herself a broad grin spread over her face, “Benedict, do you mind?”_ _ _

___“Any particular part?”_ _ _

___Lisa took a breath, for she had memorised most of the script, “When Kirk asks ‘Who the hell are you?’”_ _ _

___“Good choice.” He cleared his throat before a deep husky Khan emerged. ‘A remnant of a time long past…’”_ _ _

___As Benedict continued, punctuated with Lisa taking the part of Kirk, she felt Tom shift closer to her. It could have been uncomfortable, and despite herself, she simply smiled and dared to place her hand on his. He didn’t move it away._ _ _

_________ _ _

___Two more glasses of wine and now they had convinced her to stand. She was not a performer, despite standing up each day in front of classrooms of children, and she knew very few texts off by heart. Yet she had let slip a fact during one of their conversations a couple of weeks ago that Tom was now using against her._ _ _

___“Catullus 16.”_ _ _

___“No. No. No.” She shook her head and hands as emphatically as she could._ _ _

___“You need to come up with an alternative then.”_ _ _

___The wine had struck her brain dumb, and of course, all she could think of now was the poem in question. “Fine. Ahem… _pedicabo ego uos et irrumabo_ ,…”_ _ _

___Both men sat up and shouted in unison, “In English!”_ _ _

___“Do I have to? I’m, I’m really not comfortable saying that sort of thing to you two, I mean I only met Benedict three hours ago.”_ _ _

___“But you’ll happily say them in Latin, despite knowing we both speak it too?” Tom giggled into his glass._ _ _

___It was the drink, it must be, because now she had a bruised ego. Maybe a change of a name or two and they would be laughing on the other side of their faces. Without further ado, she launched into it._ _ _

___“ _I’ll bugger your ass and fuck your face, Thomas the pathetic, and sodomite Benedict, you who think because my poems are sensitive, that I have no shame. For it is proper for the poet herself to be dutifully chaste, yet not necessarily so for her poems. In point if fact, they have wit and charm, if they’re sensitive, and a little erotic, and can incite a lust. I don’t mean to boys, but to old hairy men who can’t get their cocks hard. Because you’ve read my thousand kisses, you think less of me as a woman? I’ll fuck you, and I’ll bugger you._ ”_ _ _

___The two men sat before her in silence. Tom spoke first. “Wow. I never thought you’d do it.”_ _ _

___She picked up the bottle of wine from the coffee table, and realising how very little was left, forewent the glass and took the last swig straight from the bottle. They laughed at her as she choked a little. She replied by sticking out her tongue before Benedict excused himself to get yet another bottle from Tom’s rack in the kitchen._ _ _

___Lisa glanced to Tom who was leaning back in the sofa. He looked so settled and comfortable that all she wanted to do was to climb up next to him and snuggle into his side. As she made a move to retake her seat she noticed his eyes had not left hers since Benedict had left the room._ _ _

___“Is something wrong?” She sat down on the sofa, but gave herself more distance this time. She didn’t trust herself not to do something stupid._ _ _

___“Just thinking.” He broke the stare and stretched out his arms and legs, to keep them awake. “You did well. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”_ _ _

___“Thank you, means a lot, coming from you.” Resolved now, Lisa chanced, “But how about you two do War Horse now for me?”_ _ _

___“Seriously?” Benedict re-entered the room with a fresh bottle of red._ _ _

___“Why not? I’ve got both of you here; I can’t think of many more things the two of you could do for me that could top that.”_ _ _

___“Of course, your mind was only on our filmography.” Benedict topped up their glasses with a 2011 Rioja, and a sly wink to her._ _ _

___“Ignore her, we now know she’s a raging perv.” Belying how drunk he really was, Tom slid off the sofa onto the floor and crawled to the coffee table to collect his glass._ _ _

___“You don’t know the half of it, Hiddles.”_ _ _

___“Enlighten me then.” His eyes dark, peered at her, his face and ears flushed from the wine._ _ _

___“When I suggest I play the part of Joey, then you have cause to worry.”_ _ _

___Benedict covered his mouth with his glass, to fight back his snort, before placing it down on the coffee table. “Seems we don’t have much choice, old boy, let’s see if I can remember… So the lines before the practice charge are ‘All right, then, let’s see what you two jokers are made of, shall we?’”_ _ _

___Tom rolled onto his knees and placed his glass next to Benedict’s. “This is what quiet confidence looks like.”_ _ _

___Lisa bit her bottom lip as she watched the pair of them banter as Captain Nicholls and Major Stewart. She could not shake the warm feeling filling her chest all the way down to the pit of her stomach. Was it the wine, or yet again something more from being in Tom’s presence? Of course, to top it all Benedict was a gorgeous, funny, intelligent, a single-yet-unattainable sweetheart too, life was too unfair. Maybe she should ask if he had some non-famous single friends he could introduce her to. In the meantime how ever was she going to explain what had happened tonight to her friends?_ _ _

_________ _ _

___The cold grey light of morning filtered in through the window waking Lisa and making her blink. Her head hurt, how much had they drunk last night, it really had been too much. She had at least made it into a bed, and the duvet was now warm and comforting. She went to move her head but thought better of it. Instead, knowing they would be cold, as they always were on waking despite the bed covers, Lisa lifted her hands to her head to stop the throbbing. On its way to her head, her left one brushed against something. Something soft, something warm, something skin like, very much like naked skin. No. No, no, no, no, no. A deep, resonate, heavy and sleepy breathing came from beside her. Shit. She became suddenly aware of her own nakedness. This was not good, not good at all. Yet part of her brain was replying that in reality, it could only be one of two people beside her and neither, technically, would be a disappointment. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself onto her elbow to get a better look._ _ _

___Shit._ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can read the original Catullus poem here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catullus_16


	5. Hazy Shade of Recollection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Explicit chapter

Shit.

The bile rose in Lisa’s throat. She fought it back as she climbed from the bed. She spotted Tom’s dressing gown on the back of his door, grabbed it before running for the bathroom. She made it just in time. Just. And there went the pizza, the red wine, the hobnobs, the slightly out of date olives Tom had found at the back of the cupboard, and the cognac. It was the cognac’s fault. Definitely.

She lent over the sink and considered what she remembered. Not much beyond the cognacs and 3 am. Splashing water onto her face she started to probe her memory, but nothing was forthcoming. Maybe she had just passed out. Maybe the nakedness in bed was just a coincidence. Maybe.

Lisa threw the dressing gown on and padded out of the bathroom towards the kitchen. The flat was still quiet. A cup of coffee would make everything better. As she waited for the kettle to boil, her head felt heavy so she rested it against the overhead cupboard. And then it hit her, the bolt of recollection.

_A bite. Sinking her teeth into hot flesh. The taste of salty skin beneath her lips, the rough skin puckering under the sweep of her tongue._

Kettle. Steam.

_A tongue explored her shoulder, a lick started below her collarbone and ended in a long languid suck on her earlobe. Fingers slid over her cheek and then her bottom lip. Without thinking, she ran her tongue over his fingertips. His smile got wider as he slipped his finger between her lips and she sucked, rolling her tongue around his finger._

Water. Boiling.

_She set her hand gently over his and she slowly moved his fingers to the inside of her thigh, slipping them under the hem of her dress. His mouth broke into a slow, seductive smile. He knelt in front of her, his fingers crept up her thigh, and touched the cotton of her knickers._

Mug. Cupboard.

_The fingers started a slow circle over her mound. His fingers pushed gently into her, rubbing the soft material against her slit. Slowly, his fingers moved them to the side and she shivered when his fingers finally slipped inside them. She was so wet his fingers easily slid up and down her lips. She closed her eyes briefly and bit her lip. She could not believe she was actually happening._

Coffee. Spoon.

_Hands pushed the dress over her head exposing her bra. Fingers pinched her nipple through the lace, causing it to peak and pucker in excitement. The clasp was ripped apart , the bra dropped away and a mouth enveloped the nipple with eagerness._

Fridge. Milk.

_A finger slipped inside her pussy, twisting and turning, pulling in and out of her. She wanted to moan and grind her hips down, fuck his finger and come hard. His finger pushed up to the knuckle and he was rubbing her clit with his thumb. A smile formed on his face as his finger again pulled out of her gripping hole and then pushed back in. She was close to coming. Her pussy was tingling, loving the attention. She took a deep breath, and stifled a moan, but just at that moment, he pushed two fingers deeper inside her and she came. Her orgasm shook her and she closed her eyes, wordlessly screaming into the night._

Milk. Mug.

_Without saying a word, she reached out, grabbed his t-shirt, and pulled him to her. Their lips met and she kissed him with passion. His tongue slipped out and met hers. Hands moved down and over her chest. His hands felt electric on her skin. As his hands cupped her breasts, she moaned again. Fingers closed over her nipples, rubbing them. His hands pulled hers from his t-shirt. He kissed her lips again quickly._

Mug. Spoon.

_A tongue was licking at her neck, rolling over her earlobe as his fingers squeezed and teased her nipples. Fingers lightly skimming over her skin. She shivered with the cool air and his touch. Looking over her shoulder, he watched his hands manipulate and tease her breasts. She moaned when she felt adept fingers finally pulling her knickers off. Her body shook when she felt his warm tongue slid across her clit._

Spoon. Stirring.

_Leaning over, his lips closed around her hard nipple and he sucked. She could not believe what was happening. A mouth was savouring her nipples, sucking on each tit one at a time. She felt her body building to another orgasm. She could not wait to come again._

Stirring. Still stirring.

_His tongue was flicking back and forth across her slit, licking her hard clit, making her moan. He pushed his tongue up inside her, his fingers holding her open. She started to shake again, her orgasm rolling through her. The tongue licked harder, his lips pulled around her clit and he sucked. She shook again and again._

Lisa shook her head. It had happened, it had actually happened; she could not deny it any longer. She was going to have to face reality as soon as the bedroom door opened. She sat on the sofa, eyes locked to the door, willing it not to open. Lisa held the mug tightly, blowing over it to cool it enough to drink.

As she took sip of her coffee, a figure appeared at the bedroom door. Her heart jumped to her throat. Tom’s tall muscular frame almost filled the doorframe. He was clad in no more than a pair of tight black boxers. She felt her thighs tighten and her juices start to slicken.

“Morning. How did you sleep?” Lisa asked. Jovial, polite, that was the way forward.

“Fine, thank you. You?” He stretched up, rubbed his eyes with the ball of his hands.

“A little fitfully.”

Another’s laugh came from behind Tom. “Maybe we didn’t wear you out enough?” Benedict’s arms snaked around Tom’s chest and after pecking his friend on the cheek came around him and into the room.

Lisa bit her lip and felt her pulse quicken as Benedict stalked towards her. He was unashamedly naked. And that was it, the trigger. All she needed to remember EVERYTHING.

_____

_“You need to taste this, Ben.” Kissing her nipple, Benedict moved off the couch and down to kneel in front of Lisa. Tom pulled her hips to position her for Benedict and held her pussy open with his fingers as Benedict leaned in and touched his tongue to her wet, sensitive cunt. She looked down again and watched Benedict’s tongue flick out and touch her over and over again, her pussy tingling with each lick._

_Tom stood and smiled down at Benedict, kneeling between her legs, licking her. Tom leaned into her and his lips touched hers. She licked his lips, tasting her own flavour on him. As his lips kissed her, she felt him remove his own clothes. Taking her hand in his, Tom guided her fingers to his hard exposed shaft. Wrapping her fingers around him, she pulled slowly, twisting her grip on him, making him moan in her mouth. Benedict’s lips closed over her pussy and he sucked hard on her, pulling her lips into his mouth. She moaned and pulled harder on Tom. When her orgasm hit again, she moaned into Tom and pushed down on Benedict’s face._

_Standing, Benedict wiped his mouth across the back of his hand. He smiled and pulled his own clothes free, his cock jutting out from his body in arousal. Kneeling down between the pair, she stroked Tom’ cock with her hand as she wrapped her other hand around Benedict and brought him to her mouth. Slowly, she wrapped her lips around the tip of his cock and pushed down. She loved his taste._

_As she sucked Benedict’s cock, both Benedict and Tom stroked her head. Tom’ fingers twisted in her hair and pushed her mouth down on Benedict, forcing her to suck him harder and take him deeper in her mouth. She loved it. Finally, she lifted her mouth from Benedict and turned to the other side to take Tom in her mouth. Wrapping her hand around Benedict’s member, she sucked her mouth down over Tom and took him all the way to the back of her throat._

_She alternated between Tom and Benedict, sucking one while stroking the other. Both men grew harder in her mouth as she rolled her tongue across them, sucking them, licking them. While holding both in her hand, she looked up at them. She licked the tip of each and then said, “Fuck me.”_

_Tom helped her stand and Benedict kissed her pussy and then stood. Tom led her to the wall, leaned back, and brought her back against him, her arse to his groin. Leaning her over slightly, he slowly guided the tip of his cock to her pussy and waited. Benedict was standing in front of her, his cock out and hard. She reached out, grabbing him and stuffing him in her mouth. As she sucked him hard and fast, Tom slowly pushed the tip of his cock into her pussy. She moaned on Benedict and sucked harder._

_Tom grabbed her hips and pulled her back against him. He held his long cock still, deep inside her, pushing against her depths, then he pushed her back up, pulling his cock all the way out. She sucked Benedict, pushing and pulling him in and out of her mouth. Tom pushed his cock inside her; again, he stopped and then pulled all the way out. She was moaning. Reaching down between her legs, she stroked her pussy as Tom rammed his cock deep inside her again, this time staying inside her. He fucked her hard and slow, giving her pussy a good work out. She was moaning, pushing back against him, her fingers digging deep inside her. Benedict’s cock was throbbing in her mouth. She did not know how either of them had not come yet._

_Tom moaned and then pulled out again. Looking at Benedict, he said it was his turn. Benedict and Tom changed places. She wrapping her lips around Tom’ cock while Benedict fucked her from behind. His cock was thicker than Tom’s and she felt so full, so wide. Tom moaned and pushed deep inside her mouth. Benedict was fucking her hard and she moaned out as she came again._

_An inspiration hit. She knew what she wanted. Taking Tom’s cock out of her mouth, she looked up at him, “I want both of your cocks inside me, together. I want both of you to fuck me; one in my pussy, one in my arse.”_

_Tom breathed back “About time you’d realised what we wanted for you.”_

_Smiling back, Benedict nodded and leaning down, dipped his cool fingers into her pussy once more. He used her own copious juices to lubricate his finger and cock. Slipping his finger inside, he tested her. Benedict pulled his finger from her arse and then she felt the tip of his cock pause at her opening. Slowly, as Tom kissed her mouth, Benedict pushed his cock inside her. She moaned, feeling first pain then pleasure. When Benedict was deep inside her, he held her, kissing her neck in reassurance. Tom stood, holding her up against Benedict. Slowly, he guided the tip of his cock inside her pussy. Holding her legs up, Tom lifted her and then lowered her on his cock. Benedict’s arms wrapped around her, holding her against him, as Tom held her legs. She was finally filled with both of their cocks._

_Tom started to lift her slowly, causing her to lift not only off his cock but also off Benedict’s cock. She moaned as they lowered her, she was in heaven. Tom and Benedict fucked her harder, both of them moaning as they pushed up inside her. She moaned, through pursed lips, knowing how sound carried in these old buildings, she managed to whimper, “Fuck me until you come, both of you.” She did not need to encourage too much. Tom moaned and thrust up inside her twice more. His cock exploded inside her, filling her. Benedict moaned and pushed her down on his cock. She felt him erupt deep in her arse. She felt her own orgasm tear through her again, shaking her like never before._

_____

“So what now?”

“Now? Well I cannot speak for Tom, but I would like to try that again. With a little less alcohol in my system, I might be able to perform better.” Benedict sat down on one side of her, his cock visibly hardening under her gaze.

Her heart was pounding in her ears. Through her dry mouth, Lisa managed to utter, “Better?”

Tom grinned before joining them on the sofa. “Yes, better. I am sure we can think up a few more things to try. Remember, you still need to be my Joey.”


	6. Period Three Placation

It should not have been left the way it had. He and Ben had spoken but neither had been able to get hold of Lisa. After trying every communication method possible over the past four days, Tom decided to take the initiative.

He took the ear buds out of his ears and pressed the buzzer next to the glass door to the school, and the receptionist let him in. The reception was a large airy space, it gave the impression of a corporate setting, despite the conservative Georgian exterior. This is what £5,000 a term bought one’s daughter in central London.

“Welcome to St Anne’s. How can I help you?” The thin wiry woman behind the large curved reception desk asked as he approached.

“I’m here to see Miss Carter. I know she’s probably teaching but if there’s any chance…?” He was suddenly nervous, pre-audition nervous and it was unsettling.

The receptionist smiled at him over her stereotypical half-moon glasses. “It’s currently second period. Break time is in 15 minutes, I will get her to come down after that, if you can wait.”

“That would be fine.”

“Can I take your name?”

“Err. Nicholls, James Nicholls.” Tom stammered, he hoped Lisa would pick up on it.

“And you are here on business?”

Tom looked at the receptionist and then down to his running attire. He had planned his run this morning to come past the school. No one could honestly think he was here in a professional capacity. “Not today, no.”

“Very well, can you sign the visitor’s book and take a seat.” She pointed to the bank of chairs along the sidewall.

As he signed J Nicholls, he watched the receptionist write a brief note and hand it to a student helper who seemed to be on duty that day. The young girl’s eyes fell on him, and she paused briefly before disappearing through a door to the right of the desk.

The minutes passed agonisingly slowly. Several teachers and a couple of students passed through the area each greeted him with a smile or a pleasant hello. He returned each one, hoping, desperately hoping, that in a school of over 450 girls, that he was not going to be recognised. After a while, Tom picked up a prospectus from the table in front of him and perused the school’s achievements. He smiled inwardly with pride when he saw Lisa’s subjects got 100% pass rates.

As he began to feel his legs cramping from the lack of a cool down, a loud bell sounded all around. The signal for the lesson change. Tom steeled himself, he did not know how long it would take her to get here, and he just hoped she would come and stop ignoring him.

Tom was suddenly surrounded by an influx of teachers who were heading towards the staff room, but then he heard her voice through the crowd. When he got his first glimpse, he almost did not recognise her. Lisa had entered reception with a colleague, and it was only when she had spotted him and her conversation stalled, that he clicked it was she. Her hair was tied back into a short plait; a red checked A-line skirt, white blouse, and black tank top made her look like some sort of sexy librarian. He felt his mouth go dry, he was here to apologise and tell her it would not happen again. Yet now all he wanted to do was to fall to his knees in front of her, run his hands up her stocking clad legs and taste her, once again.

Tom stood, pulled his t-shirt down where it had bunched up, adjusted the waistband of his trousers, and waited for her to approach but she did not. Ignoring him, she said something quietly to the other teacher beside her before handing over a stack of papers. It was only after she had conversed with the receptionist for a moment or two that she came towards him.

“I got the message. What are you doing here?” Lisa’s hands rested on her hips, her head held high, her stance aggressive.

The weight of her gaze made Tom feel like a schoolboy himself again, “I, err, came to apologise.”

“But why here? Why now? I’m working, I’m busy.”

“You weren’t answering any of our calls, or texts, or emails, or tweets.”

“Had you maybe thought that there was a reason for that?” Tom watched powerless as Lisa’s neck began to go red with the anger building inside her.

Tom held up his hands in defence, “Hang on, you wanted it, that with me, me and him.”

Lisa grabbed his upper arm and dragged him further into the corner. She hissed, “Keep your voice down. This is a school for heaven’s sake.” Looking around the reception to see if anyone else had heard, she pulled him closer to her by his t-shirt and whispered quieter into his ear. “Look, break is only 15 minutes long and I’m not spending it arguing with you in reception. Come to my classroom and we can talk in private.” Then letting him go, and adding in her normal tone, “Have you signed in?”

Leaving reception, she led the way down some rabbit warren corridors, and up a flight of stairs, along two more corridors, before finally pausing in front of a large white door, which she unlocked and ushered him in. The walls were filled with charts and posters showing declensions, cases, and tenses. Pictures of Emperors, monuments, and artefacts accompanied a timeline around the room, and a large papier-mâché reconstruction of the Colosseum filled the corner by the window. Lisa perched on the edge of her desk and waved for Tom to do likewise on one of the desks opposite.

Without preamble she began, “I’m not denying what happened was good. It was, it was amazing. But you two made me feel like a piece of shit. Benedict couldn’t wait to get out of there, and you practically kicked me out.”

Tom was riled, “That is not fair. He had a flight to catch, I had a matinee, and no one was kicking you out. You could have stayed; we could have had dinner once I was back.”

He watched Lisa close her eyes and take a deep breath. Without her saying a word, he knew what she was thinking. He should have been the one to say no, again; he had kept his distance, never encouraging her infatuation. However, Friday night had changed that, why had Friday night been different? She had made it clear from day one how she felt; it was he and his feelings that had changed.

“I didn’t want to keep saying no, pushing you away. And you’d been so nice to me, yet again. And you turn up in that dress that you’d just ‘thrown on’, and it was the first time I’d seen your legs properly and they just were so amazing. They just kept going up and up, and then you come out with the innuendos and the perverted poetry and…”

“Are you justifying it to me, or yourself?” Lisa interrupted. The glowing anger was not abating.

“I suppose both.” He closed the distance between them and took her small hands in his larger ones. “I can’t admit that I love you, but I have grown very fond of you over the past few months, I don’t want to lose that, or your friendship. But at the same time I would like to at least kiss you, one more time.”

Lisa turned her head to face the window, avoiding his gaze. “Why?”

“Again? You still ask me that question?”

She turned back to face him, he saw in her eyes that the anger was receding, slowly being replaced by a sadness that he did not understand. “Because you told me the first time we met that you wouldn’t and couldn’t be interested in me. You have everything, could have anyone, yet you hang out with me. You phone me at midnight just to quote Shakespeare, you turn up at my door with Jaffa cakes, and Hitchcock films. I, I don’t understand it and I’ve held on to those doubts in secret, and then on Friday…”

“Yes, on Friday…”

“What now?” Lisa bit her lip.

"Can we still be friends?" Tom knew it was a big ask of her, but the truth was he did love her, despite adamantly denying it five minutes previously, but not in the way she wanted. He loved being with her, he loved sharing those little moments, he loved the fact he could be himself around her. Lisa accepted his fame, his crazy lifestyle and was just grateful to be even a small part of it. Yet going forward they would always have that night hanging between them.

"I don’t know.” Lisa turned away once more. She was obviously weighing up the possibilities. “Will it happen again?”

He could not lie. “Do you want a guarantee one way or another? Because that I do not know. Can we try and rebuild what we had before and then see?”

He did not know what he expected her reaction to be, but he was pleasantly surprised when she smiled at him, that cute half smile that she normally reserved for when she endured his Shakespearian quotations or his attempts to cook, and in that moment, he knew that it was all going to be all right. He pulled her into an encompassing hug, not wanting to let her go; he rested his head on top of her head. She did not protest, but she gripped him tightly in return.

Tom would have been happy to hold her like that forever, but Lisa broke the silence first, mumbling into his chest, “What about Benedict?”

“Ah, yes, well, that could be…”

Before he could answer the school bell rang to signal end of break. It had not even finished ringing, the door flew open, and her period three Year 10 group started to file in. The first few girls made it to their desks before anyone realised their teacher was in the arms of a man. Any prattle and gossip that the teenagers had been engaged in suddenly ceased.

With worryingly practiced ease, Lisa performed a stealthy movement out of his arms, which left him standing to one side and her perched back on her desk.  
The whispers were beginning. Tom stared around the room and could hear them as one by one they either recognised him, or sought insight from a neighbour. His mind retreated to his lines from Coriolanus, holding firm to them meant his anxiety could not rise to the surface.

He felt Lisa’s hand on his arm and her soft voice whispered, “I’ll come to yours after school, I’ll bring cheesecake and we can talk. Just talk.” Then to the class she added in her scholarly voice, “Hannah, could you show Mr Nicholls back to reception please?”

As Tom mutely followed his guide out of the door, he heard the chatter behind him reach a fever pitch; before Lisa’s clear voice rang out.

“If you lot don’t settle down, I’m going to double the number of verbs you have for homework.”

He smiled at that and knew that 4 o’clock could not come soon enough.


	7. What A Fine Mess

Lisa used the loaned key to open the front door of the flat. “Hello?” She ventured to call out.

“I’m in the kitchen.” Tom’s voice had a hint of exasperation.

Laughing inwardly, she placed her shopping bags on the sofa before heading towards the sounds and smells emanating from the kitchen. She had left him with two jobs – make the pasta sauce, and to slow cook the cheese tartlets, that were to be their starters tonight. When she entered the kitchen, she knew it was almost her worse idea to date.

Chuckling she jibed, “How many pans do you need?”

“Don’t.” He spun to face her and pointed at her with a dripping stirring spoon, his face steeled, teeth jarred. With agitation he added, “Are you going to help or just stand there?”

Lisa took the spoon from his hand, “Calm down, you will end up burning something, or worse, yourself.” Tom stood to one side as she bustled over to the stove, turning down burners, giving the sauce a stir, and checking on the slight charring smell emanating from the oven.

He uttered a quiet thank you and backed out of the room quietly.

With the dinner back under control, Lisa joined Tom in the living area, where she found him hovering over her bags of purchases.

“What have you been buying then?”

“Nothing.” She stepped between him and the shopping as a barrier.

“Come on, show me.” He made a half attempt to snatch them from behind her.

“Fine.” She lifted each bag in turn, “New dress, new shoes and… that’s it.” The last bag she pushed behind the others without lifting it.

“And that bag?” He tried to peer around her once again.

“None of your business.”

Tom smirked; he recognised the logo on the bag. “James is getting lucky.”

She smiled weakly. Since ‘that’ night they had met up a few times but it had very awkward between them. This blind date set up had been his idea, an innocent meet up at a friendly dinner that Tom would host. James, one of Tom’s oldest friends, was by all accounts sweet, clever, and handsome. Yet why did she feel so apathetic to the evening ahead? She knew Tom wanted to clear the air between them, and if James occupied her mind, he could go off to Toronto with a clear conscience.

“I’m not wearing it for him, I’m not as presumptive as you think I am. I am wearing it for me.”

“You need the courage?”

Lisa reached into the bag and pulled out the maroon two-piece. It was not courage she needed, she needed to feel attractive. Yet to Tom she said, “Something like that. Not all of us have been blessed with your angelic good looks and nerves of steel.” Tom’s head nodded to one side as he watched her finger the lingerie. She could see his eyes glazing as she ran the pads of her fingers over the cups and lace. Why had she even taken it out of the bag? Did she hope to entice him, or to make him jealous? With a cough and a reality check, she stuffed them back into their bag.

Tom came out of whatever daydream she had put him in, before remarking, “So we’d better get ready then, yes?”

_____

James was sweet, clever, and quite, quite handsome. He was an architect, working out of London, earning a good wage and had a wry sense of humour that she found most charming. He was a perfect antithesis to Tom. Dark, straight hair to Tom’s blonde curls; a rower’s hourglass to Tom’s lithe running physique. She did not notice time passing in his company, as others arrived for the dinner party. By eight o’clock his sister Emma and two more of his friends had also arrived. It was not until the intercom buzzed once more that she realised they were two short of their intended eight. Tom called over from his place next to Emma on the sofa, asking if Lisa could answer. Handing her glass to James with a smile, she picked up the handset and peered at the small screen.

“Hell… AHHHHH! Karen?! Richard?!” She recognised the two faces peering back at her through the monochrome screen.

“Lisa? Is that you? What are you doing here?” Karen was more shocked than she was.

“I could ask you two the same?”

Richard answered this time, “We’ve come for dinner with my cousin, why are you here?”

“I’m cooking.”

Karen laughed back, “Thank god, it’ll be something edible then! Can we come up?”

“Of course, sorry.” She pressed the button to admit them.

Hanging the receiver up, she turned to face Tom. “Why didn’t you tell me that they were coming?”

He chuckled, “Sorry, it was a last minute thing, they’re in London for their wedding anniversary.”

“Shit, that’s this weekend? I forgot to get them a card!”

“I’m sure they’ll forgive you. You cooking dinner, rather than me, will be enough.”

_____

“So? How’s it going?” Karen was helping Lisa serve out the desserts in the kitchen, whilst the others continued their merriment in the dining room.

“Fine, fine.” Lisa gave a dismissive wave.

“To be honest, you were the last person I would expect to see here. You never thought once to mention that you and Tom had become friendly. The last thing I knew you two were bundling into your car at Christmas, and now here you are practically settled into his flat playing hostess.”

“It’s not something I could just announce over Facebook. ‘I’m having dinner with my new friend Tom Hiddleston’, or ‘Hey I’ve just spent the evening playing backgammon with Tom Hiddleston’.”

“You still could have sent a text or something. So, is it just friends?”

Lisa turned away quickly, maybe a touch too quickly, “J-j-just friends, yes, we’re just friends.”

Karen’s eyes narrowed. “No. No you’re not.” She pointed a finger at Lisa accusatively. “What happened? And more importantly, is it still happening?”

“It’s hardly worth mentioning. It happened once, it’s not happening again.” Lisa half chuckled as she reached for the double cream from the fridge. Even to one of her oldest friends, she knew that the truth would be too fantastical. After decanting the cream into a serving jug, she added, “But we’re friends, good friends now, I hope.”

"And this James? Friends with him too, are you?"

"I only met him tonight, it was Tom’s idea. It maybe something but probably nothing. Can’t see him being too interested in me."

"You’re too hard on yourself; you’re quite a catch, if you just let someone get close enough."

Lisa started to protest that she was nothing special when Karen cut across her. “No one is special to everyone. You just need to be special enough for the right person. Richard was my third boyfriend, I was his first girlfriend. We were just lucky to meet each other when we did, and know in that moment that we were and could be special enough to last longer than a term at uni.”

As always, Karen was a sage with such things. She resolved to give James the benefit of the doubt, and at the same time have the courage to forget all that had passed between Tom and her. The few kisses she had shared with Tom, that had had any affection to them, had not given her jelly legs and by her own criteria, she had already given him too much time and benefit of the doubt because of who he was.

_____

Two days later, on Tom’s penultimate day in London, Lisa was receiving her instructions as official house watcher. “And this is the entry code and this one is the alarm code. This key is for the letterbox, and this is for the windows and balcony. Anything else you need?”

She looked between Tom and the set of keys in her hands. “No, I think that is everything.”

“The fan post gets filtered out, so it should just be bills, but if anything turns up that you can’t identify, let me know. Okay?”

Lisa nodded. When he had asked this of her, she was sceptical, but she knew that most of his other friends were busy, and she was the only one with a regular job who was not leaving London for any length of time.

“Thank you so much for doing this, I’m so grateful. I am glad we are friends again.” Tom pulled her in for a stilted hug.

“It’s okay, I’m glad to be of help.” She hugged him back with reluctance before easing out of his embrace.

“I’ll have to think of a way to repay you well when I get back.” As he looked down at her, a grin spread across his face.

Unsure of his meaning, she replied simply, “Maybe.”

“Sure. Maybe.” His brow furrowed, but regardless he bent down to kiss her cheek. “Goodbye Lisa, I’ll see you in three months.” And with one last look to her, his bottom lip catching in his teeth as he exhaled deeply, he turned on his heel and strode away down the hallway. Lisa closed the door with a quiet click.

With a heavy heart, she cast Tom’s keys on the hallway table and lent back heavily against the door. Now it was time to put her life back in order. It might include James, then again, it might not. However she was certain that for at least three months it would NOT include the thorn in her life that Tom Hiddleston had become.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is 'technically' the end of the story, thanks so much for reading. I'm not sure where Tom & Lisa are really headed after this so it maybe something that I revisit in the future.


	8. Just One More Night

There was always something. Whether it was the English department’s curriculum focus being the Henriad, or the rows of Marvel t-shirts in Primark, or the bloody Muppets advertising Subway. Forgetting Tom had been easier said than done for Lisa.

She had held off checking his flat for the first week. Then she had told herself it would only be weekly. Maybe she could dust or vacuum whilst she was there, wouldn’t want him to come home to a dust pile. After that she thought every couple of days would be better, the post  _did_  seem to pile up quickly. Maybe it would also be worth keeping a loaf of bread and maybe a pint of milk in the fridge too, just in case he came home for a flying visit. Leaving a change of clothes there had seemed logical, in case she ever got locked out of her own flat. She only recognised she had a problem when after a particularly long day, her feet had taken her to his flat, and she realised she hadn’t been inside her own for at least a week.

Lisa sat down in the middle of Tom’s hallway in despair, her head in her hands. How had she got to this point? Her laundry was in his washing machine and her toothbrush in his bathroom. This was wrong, so wrong. She knew she would start to justify it by telling herself that his flat was closer to her work, that the transport links were better, but in reality she had been stalking his home, when she couldn’t be near him. So much for forgetting him, moving on. She had ensconced herself in his absent life hoping that when he did return to the UK, she would ease seamlessly into his heart.

Who was she kidding? She stood, determined, and made her way through to the living room. She started to erase all evidence that she’d been camping out here. A pile formed on the coffee table; the glossy magazine, her latin dictionary, the half empty packet of Jaffa cakes, the Avengers blu-ray. The kitchen had been easier, the fresh food could be explained away. Yet the bedroom would not be a simple job. His sheets stank of her perfume, her laundry formed a pile at the end of the bed, her toiletries invaded his ensuite. She collapsed backwards onto the bed like a starfish. This was hopeless, a pointless exercise when she wasn’t convincing herself, let alone anyone else.

“What am I going to do, Tom?” Lisa asked the ceiling. “What is wrong with me?”

No one answered. The sky turned dark as she lay there willing her brain or body to make a decision. When her brain finally joined her internal monologue it was to chip in that it was too late to go home now. It was Friday night and Tom was still four weeks away from returning to England. One more night would hurt no one.

She stripped off, dejected, and climbed under the duvet naked. The first time she had done this Tom’s scent had assaulted her and she had felt herself becoming aroused by the simple infusion of his nutty cologne and stale sweat. Now there was nothing but her own left. Her mind reached back to that memory, the feeling of being close to him, inhaling deeply and being surrounded by the invisible clouds of heady flavours. She shivered as her body started to respond.

She breathed in deeply but as she exhaled a slight moan escaped her lips. This was a dangerous route, this was not getting rid of her demon’s. This was only encouraging her dependence on this fantasy of the perfect life with Tom. But she knew this had not all been one sided, he had known how to play her with nothing more than his voice. The husky phone calls they had shared, that had seemed so innocent at the time. His voice hoarse from having invoked Coriolanus all evening but he had still wanted to share parts of Merchant of Venice with her at 1am. How he would whisper in her ear for her to explain what was happening during her choice of film, be it Truffaut or Hitchcock. How he had whispered how nice she had tasted before kissing her deeply.

Her fingers stroked over her thighs, yes that was one way to keep from exorcising the demons. Keeping her mind focused on that night would not help her cause. Somehow her mind erased Benedict from the scene, in her head it was just the two of them on that sofa now. Of course Benedict was cute, he’d been good, but now, in this moment her mind wanted, no, needed, just Tom.

One hand reached for her breasts, feeling her nipples already hardening with anticipation, she squeezed roughly, pinching and tugging. She imagined Tom’s thin lips sucking and pulling the hard tips into his mouth.

She knew now that she was wet beyond a little horny. She was tempted to tease herself, waiting until she was dripping before sliding cool fingers between her hot folds. Her thighs were slick and her fingers easily found her clit beneath the cotton covers if the duvet. She took a moment to breathe, feeling the heat of her pussy and the pressure of her fingers on her clit before she rubbed across her clit and down with the tip of one finger, gathering the fluids that leaked out between her swollen pussy lips so that her fingertip slid easily into a rhythm against the little nub. Her hips bucked and her other hand joined the first, pushing against her slick cunt. One, two… her fingers entered her pussy easily and she fucked herself, moaning quietly.

She thought of Tom kissing her with a tang of her own sweet sex smell, as they tangled, pleasuring with fingers, with whispers, with tongues. The buzzing warmth in her groin increased and she knew she would cum quickly. 

It was then she reached for the one other item that should never have made it as far as Tom’s flat: her vibrator. She could not contain her eagerness for the hot, shuddering orgasm that awaited her. When she was safely back in her own bed, she would play for a while; this time she wanted to scream, to get Tom out of her head, once and for all.

Her body’s anticipation built, flooding her cheeks with heat as she turned the dial and slid it quickly between her legs, the juicy flesh parting easily. Her back arched expectantly toward the tingling caress of the shaft between her legs. The orgasm loomed; she did not have the will to tease herself away. She let go and it overpowered her. Her hips bucked toward the bullet vibrating against her clit and her pussy squeezed the fingers still inside, contracting with waves of pleasure which washed over her again and again until finally her breath slowed and the waves lapped quietly at her pussy lips, leaving her satisfied and buzzing pleasantly.

As her breathing returned to normal she chanced to open her eyes. There was a shadow in the doorway had not been there earlier.

“Hello darling.”

 


	9. Caught Out

“Hello darling.”  Tom leant against the doorframe, idly watching the scene unfold in front of him as if he had all the time in the world.

“Fuck!”  Lisa scrambled with the bed covers pulling them up over her exposed body.

Pushing himself off the door, he took several steps into the room and with a chuckle added, “I suppose I should be grateful you are at least alone in my bed.”

“Tom…  I…”  Lisa managed to catch her tongue, “What are you doing here?”

“Well I did think I lived here, I thought you were just going to be checking my post?”

"How…  How long were you there?"

Tom's eyebrow raised as he breathed, "Long enough to hear you moan my name."

"Shit...  I can't believe...  Crap."  Lisa’s hands flew to her face.  This in turn meant she dropped the covers; she began an awkward dance of trying to hide her face and body from his gaze and failing miserably at both.

"So you _were_ thinking about me then?"  Tom sat down on the bed next to her and held the sheets to her body for her.  He was careful not to touch her skin, though seeing it in its flushed and glistening state left him feeling a little warm himself.

Lisa snatched the sheets from his hands, gathered them around her closer, and shifted towards the other side of the bed, hoping to get away.  Without looking at him, she began to mutter, “Tom, look I'm sorry, let me just get my clothes and I'll be gone.  I'll leave your keys on the side.  You won't hear from me again.”

“Now why would I want you to do that?”  His hand shot out and caught her at the elbow.

“Sorry?”

“This, this you and me, has been eating away at me since I left.  Actually since before I left, but I thought you wanted nothing to do with me.”

“I don't.  I mean, I didn't.  Oh I don't know, I don’t know what I feel.”  She pulled her arm out of his grasp.

Tom scowled.  “But you feel something enough to be lying in _my_ bed, calling out _my_ name, whilst you pleasure yourself.”

“Tom…”

“Shut up.”

“What?”

“Shut up and kiss me!”

To Tom’s surprise, she did just that.  Lisa’s hands wound around his neck and pulled him into her.  Her hand sifted through his hair as their lips tasted each other.  He gently pulled her lips between his, sucking gently before releasing and repeating.  Tom’s hands mimicked hers, and wound up her neck and into her hair, as their kiss deepened.  Lisa cautiously ran her tongue along his lips before slipping it between them.  Tom could not help but give a small groan as their tongues began to move against each other.  She ran her hands across his broad shoulders and down his back, Tom hesitantly placed his hands on her shoulders before pulling out of the kiss.

“Are you sure?”  He asked her quietly.

Lisa’s eyelids fluttered as she answered simply, “Yes.”  And their lips crashed against each other once again.

Tom’s hands slid down from her shoulders, down to the small of her back, holding onto her waist as their tongues continued to assail one another.  After a few minutes he moved his hands slowly back up, his thumbs grazing the outer edges of her breasts.  It was one thing for her to say yes, but another to take this further.  He became very conscious that this was a line that was about to be crossed.  There would be no going back.

He pulled back from her, and gazed over her panting form.  Her lips bright from their kisses, her dark curls pulled into knots from his grip.  As she looked on confused he gently raised his hand, and placed his fingers against her temple, slowly and gently traced a path, down her cheek to her jaw, along her throat and down to her collarbone.  His eyes followed the path of his hand and they continued down.  His eyes flicked up to her face.  Lisa’s eyes were closed and her lips pursed as she waited for the sensation he was teasing at.  He turned his hand over and let the backside of his fingers brush slowly over her nipple.  She gave out a quiet gasp as his knuckles passed over the tightening bud.  When his hand got to the bottom of her breast, he gently cupped it and rubbed his thumb across the nipple.  At this, Lisa moved her hand back to his neck and pulled him in for a hard kiss.  She parted his lips with her tongue and thrust it into his mouth as she let out a high-pitched moan whilst his thumb idly fanned over her breast.

Pulling away once more he repeated, “Are you sure?”

“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.”  With that she pushed the covers off her, swung her leg over his, and sat astride him.  Their kisses resumed in earnest.

Tom’s hands roamed over her naked form, not knowing where to hold next, just knowing he wanted to hold, squeeze, and caress every inch.  His hands claimed her breasts, her arse, and her thighs.  It was all Lisa could do to hold his shoulders against the barrage of his pawing.

Since opening his front door and hearing her delicate moans filling his flat, he had been sporting a growing erection, and now it was becoming obscene and painful.  He needed to do something, even if it was only to remove the restrictions that his clothing was providing.  Tom pushed her off his lap and onto her back on the bed, with a force he did not mean.  She did not seem to mind though, as her groan as she hit the mattress was not one of pain.  He knew she would not agree with him, but she did truly look beautiful and magnificent in that moment, spread-eagled and glowing.  He deftly pulled on the buckle of his belt and pushed every layer down to his ankles.  He felt Lisa’s eyes on him as she propped onto her elbows to look him over.  Her gaze froze as it came eye to eye with the end of his cock.

“I don’t remember it being that big.”  Her lip caught nervously in her teeth.

“It’s been a while, I might be a little desperate.”  Tom grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and whipped it over his head.

Cheekily Lisa managed to tear her eyes from his member to evaluate the rest of him.  “Now that chest I do remember.”  Cocking her finger, she ran her tongue over her top lip suggestively.  Tom complied, leaning over her as they resumed their kisses.  Her fingers roamed over his chest her fingernails grating across his nipples, it was his turn to moan into her mouth.  His cock seemed to twitch with a mind of its own against her thighs and he shifted slightly to position himself at her entrance.  He could feel how wet she was, mostly from her own actions earlier, but hoped that at least some of was his doing too.

“Stop.”  Lisa’s hand flew to his chest.  “Shouldn’t we be using something?”

“I don’t have anything in the flat.  Are you on the pill?”

“Injection.  But what about…”

“Who was the last person you had unprotected sex with?”

Lisa scoffed, “Only ever you and Benedict.  What about you?”

Tom nuzzled into her ear, “You, and Benedict.  Are we cool?”

“As long as you come to the doctors with me tomorrow.”

“Fine.  Now can I shove my cock deep into that tight, wet pussy of yours?”

Lisa’s eyes closed in agreement as she awaited Tom’s next move.  He didn’t wait too long.  He inched his cockhead slowly into her aching pussy.  Even from here he could tell she was aching for more, her hips began to thrust upward to take as much as she could, but he took his time.  He couldn’t believe he had this much restraint in him.

“Mmmmm… Tom, I want you inside me… Please stop teasing…”  She grabbed his arse, trying to pull him into her.

Tom couldn't take it any more, with a swift thrust, he buried himself inside of her.  A high pitched scream echoed off the ceiling as Lisa felt herself filled fully.  Stretched to her limits, the scream was filled with pleasure bordering on pain.  Tom held himself still and allowed her to get used to the sensation.

"Are you okay Lisa?"

"Yeah.... I think so... oh my."  She was panting between words.

A low moan emanated from her throat as he slowly pulled out of her to the head. Every nerve ending in her pussy set alight by his slightest move.  Another moan as he slowly pushed back in.  She was taking deep breaths as he filled her once again.  After a few minutes of slow work, they were getting into a rhythm and her need for a second release was getting the better of her.  Her hips arched to meet him in anticipation and her hands guided his hips into her faster and faster.  Tom’s own desperation meant he had to fight off his own release building his loins.  As her climax built to a crescendo, Tom slid down and took a nipple in his mouth, and twirled it with his tongue.  His thrusting hips shortened and quickened his strokes only pushing in a few inches at a time to bring her to the edge.  As her hands began frantically clawing at his hips and back, he thrust in completely, giving her an orgasm deeper than he knew she had not experienced in a long time, if ever.  Her head wrenched to its side against the pillow and her hand clasped against her forehead, she screamed out his name.  Smiling to himself in pride Tom kissed her deeply, yet was not quite finished himself.

He pulled her legs over his shoulders and quickly began thrusting into her, his fingers digging into her thighs to keep her tight and in place.

"Oh God, Tom!  I can't take much more!  Shit!"

He pumped into her hard and fast, now driving for his own release.  Lisa let out a high-pitched squeal as another, albeit smaller and less intense, orgasm rushed through her.  At nearly the same moment, Tom’s release arrived, shooting into her waiting pussy.

Catching his breath, Tom uttered several expletives of his own before he rolled away from her, conscious that he didn’t want to squash her under him on his come down.  Rubbing feeling back into her thighs, the grin on Lisa’s face was unmistakable.  He motioned for her to snuggle up to him, and she complied resting her head on his chest.

"Thank you Tom."

"For the intense, mindblowing, incredible sex with one of the world's sexiest actors?"

"You conceited bastard." She pulled away from him.  Before he could protest, she continued, "For not kicking me out when you turned up."  She snuggled back down, "and maybe a little bit for the mind blowing sex."  They laughed together, before the exertion started to take its toll and a comfortable quiet settled over the pair.

The clock ticked over to the new day, Lisa watched Tom’s face as his eyes closed slowly, heavy with his need for sleep.  "Why are you really back?"

"The Oliviers are on Sunday."

"Then you’ll be going back?”

Tom nodded.

“And where does that leave us?  This?”

“It gives you four weeks to tidy this damn flat up...”  Tom recoiled as Lisa’s fingers pinched his exposed side.  “Oi, if you let me finish...”

Lisa's eyes narrowed, “Yes?”

“But your toothbrush can stay, if you want?”

Her face broke into a wide grin and moved up for a soft kiss, as she did she felt his hardening cock press against her thigh.  Lisa broke the kiss and looked him in the eyes.  "Oh no...”

"Oh yes..."  Sleep suddenly banished from his mind.


	10. Rendezvous Al Fresco

Lisa unlocked the door and allowed her friend to enter before her.  Nicola had travelled down to London on a weekend visit whilst her daughter was with her father.  It was going to be a weekend of girlie debauchery – a musical, red wine and copious amounts of ice cream.  As Nicola continued their conversation as she set the table, Lisa turned on the oven and then began to pack away the shopping.

“So they really can’t decide and the last thing Karen and I want is for you to have to bake two cakes.”

Pulling her head from the freezer, Lisa called back “Well what are the options; I could always try and put the two ideas together?”  Even now, Lisa could not believe her friends had managed to give birth to their children just two days apart.  Part of Lisa’s gift to them was always the cake and up until this year, the small children could easily swayed so as both would be happy with whatever was presented.  However, they were now becoming opinionated in their old age, of five.

“Well, Flynn wants Captain America and Lizzie wants Tinkerbell.  I really don’t see how you can…  Oh My GOD!!”

Lisa dropped the bag of pasta she was holding and ran back to the living room dreading whatever could make unflappable Nicola scream like that.  There she came found Nicola face to face with Tom, who inconveniently was wearing nothing but a towel.

Tom was as red as a beetroot, but neither looked as if they could move from their staring match out of shock.  Tom spoke first “Shit, look, sorry, I heard voices, Luke took my other set of keys, so I thought I’d come here and get yours, and thought I’d quickly have a shower and I’m really sorry, I’m going to…”

Lisa placed a hand on his shoulder and through her own embarrassment encouraged him to turn around.  “Why don’t you go and put some clothes on, then we can talk.”

He practically ran from the room as he continued with his apologies, interspersed with more oh shit’s.

As the bedroom door slammed, Nicola broke from her stare.  “What the hell?  That was Tom.  What the actual bloody hell is he doing naked in your flat, Lisa?”

“Erm, he… I was, erm, housesitting for him, and so I have his spare keys.”

“So why does he have keys to here?”

Lisa’s must have been almost purple in embarrassment by now.  “It’s just he knows where the spare one is.  That’s all.”

Nicola began to pace and spin in the middle of Lisa’s living room, “Is what Karen told me true?”

“What did she tell you?”

“That you two… you know… once did…  Oh god I’m a fast approaching middle aged divorced mum, don’t make me say it out loud.”

“Well, yes, we did.  And then what Karen doesn’t know is that we did it again.  And again.  And I kinda think that we might nearly be a sort of couple… maybe.”

“He’s your boyfriend?  Why didn’t you tell me, or Karen?!  This is huge and you didn’t think to tell us?!”

“I never said boyfriend.”  Lisa said defensively.  “He’s not meant to be here, he should be out of the country, and it’s still up in the air and I was going to see if he would come to the kids’ birthday party and sort of tell you both together properly.”  While she rambled, Lisa watched her friend’s eyes narrow.  “What is it Nic?  I don’t like that look.”

Then a realisation hit Nicola.  “You have been fucking Loki, you lucky cow!  Does he wear the helmet?”

Lisa felt herself turn red this time.  “Nooooo.  No, no, no.  He’s Tom, just Tom.  Mind out the gutter, you!”

“So, how?”  Lisa was wondering how Nicola was still standing, her face was as white as a sheet.  “How did you get in his pants?”

“Look sit down before you fall down.  It was all very weird and we were getting really friendly, and then something happened between us, and we really didn’t know what was going on, but then he went away.”

“But you did it again?”

“Well yes, he went away, but then came back for a weekend, and then we did it again, but it was different and it was better and then when he had to go back, we’ve been chatting on the phone and emails and things, friendly again, but more.  And I don’t know.”  She sat down next to Nicola.  “Maybe I should have told you sooner, you would have understood, and probably helped.”

“Do you want it to be serious?”

“I don’t know, it’s all too much and I’m not even sure if there even enough to call it casual, let alone serious.”

A cough from behind them made them turn to see Tom, fully clothed this time.  “Hi.”

"Oh hello again.  You probably don’t remember me..."  Nicola stood back up, now cool as a cucumber, and put out her hand.

Returning the handshake Tom said, "Nicola, wasn’t it?  You were there at Christmas too.  You have a little girl?”

“Yes, yes, Lizzie.  I can’t believe you remembered and I'm sorry about that earlier; I didn't mean to stare quite so much."

“No problem, I should have warned Lisa I was coming back.  I was hoping to surprise her."

Lisa smirked at him, "Objective achieved.  Again."

"So, erm Tom, I understand you and Lisa are…”

Tom half laughed, "Yeah, the walls here are rather thin, I couldn't miss your conversation just now."

Lisa mumbled something under her breath about how she was still here but the others chose to ignore it.

“So anyway…”  Nicola continued, “How about I go and put the dinner on while you two have a chat?”  And she retreated to the kitchen, though Lisa suspected her ear would not be too far from the door.

“How have you been?”  Tom chanced pulling her into a large warm hug.

“Fine.  Fine.”  Lisa looked over his shoulder to avoid eye contact.

Tom bent his head to catch her eye, “Is this going to be awkward?”

Lisa shook her head, “I don’t know, it seemed so easy over the telephone.  Now, with you here again…”

“Feels like we’re back to where we were before I left?”  Lisa nodded.  Tom continued, “How about I make it easy?”

“How?”

Tom smiled and with the smallest lick of his lips, pushed his hands into her hair and pulled her head into his for a deep kiss.  Just as Lisa felt herself relax into the kiss before her knees begin to go weak, Tom pulled back.  “I’ve missed you.”

“I… I’ve missed you too, but… Nicola?”

“Of course, I’ll leave you to your friend.”  Tom stepped away from her, he did not let go of her head though.  “Just a thought, the weather is meant to be nice next week, we could go for a picnic, chat more?”

“Like a date?”

“A date, yes.  This does seem backwards, doesn’t it?”

“How about I call you on Monday once Nicola’s gone home and we can arrange something?”

“That sounds perfect.”  Tom bent and kissed her cheek and with a final call of goodbye to Nicola in the kitchen, Lisa handed him the keys to his own flat, and with a last momentary, almost ghost of a kiss to her lips, he left.

Tom paused in the corridor after the door had shut behind him, and grinned wildly as he heard the girlie squeals of both women from the other side of the door.

\-----

Richmond Park was quiet for a Thursday afternoon, Lisa’s day off, just them and the deer for miles around.  Tom kicked off his shoes as Lisa laid out the picnic blanket and the pair settled down on their backs for a minute or two, looking up at the sky. The forecast had been for intermittent showers so Tom figured the trees would provide enough protection to keep them from getting soaked in the worst case.

Lisa rolled to her side, resting her head in her hand propped up by her elbow, and watched as he unpacked their feast. He spread out the fruit first, bunches of both red and green seedless grapes, her favourite blackberries and bowl of large juicy strawberries. He had also packed sharp cheddar cheese, a delicate roule, and a small piece of blue cheese to contrast the sweet fruits. A small loaf of crusty French bread and a well-chilled bottle of Chardonnay completed the picnic menu.

As they ate, and watched the sparse number of walkers and cyclists pass by, the sun shined brightly and the threat of rain disappeared at least for the time being.  Glass by glass the bottle of wine emptied, washing down bites of cheese, bread and fruit, they talked about everything and nothing.  Their easy friendship had returned, but with the hint of what more their relationship could be.

Full and satisfied, the remains of their feast scattered around them, they lay back down, eyes closed, absorbing the warmth of the sun.

The splash of a lone raindrop on Tom’s forehead startled him and he sat up. He must have dozed off briefly because he failed to notice the sun was now gone and a dark gray cloud hung directly over them.  Lisa had fallen asleep too. He tried to wake her as more drops began to fall. He scurried around filling up the picnic basket with the leftovers from lunch.

Lisa propped herself up on her elbow and asked “What are you doing?”

Tom stopped and pointed to the sky, "It's raining.”

"You big baby," she said as she laid back down, the rain was falling harder now.

He gathered everything up that he could and ran under a nearby tree. It was not a thunderstorm so lightening was not going to be a problem.  "You're going to get soaked!" he shouted to her. She just turned her head toward him and politely stuck out her tongue.  “You’re a crazy girl!”

It was pouring now. Lisa stood up in the middle of the blanket, spread out her arms, tilted her head back and let the rain wash over her. He watched from under the tree as she ran her fingers through her now drenched hair. It was as if she were moving in slow motion. She ran her hands over her face, fingers tracing her lips. She opened her mouth to catch the rain as it fell, bouncing off her tongue. Her eyes were closed. She ran her hands down her chest. Her t-shirt was completely wet and stuck to her breasts as they pressed against the wet fabric. Her hands continued down her stomach to the top of her shorts then back up again, retracing the path over her breasts to her face and through her hair again. She opened her arms wide once again and began to twirl in slow circles, head toward the sky, the rainwater cascading down her body.

“This is AMAZING Tom!  Come on!”

He could no longer contain himself. He left the protection of the tree and rejoined her on the blanket. They embraced and he kissed the rain from her forehead, cheeks, and the tip of her nose and finally her lips. They kissed deeply as the rain drenched them both. He reached behind her and lifted her shirt over her head as she did the same to him. He removed her bra and cupped her breasts in his hands. He followed the trickles of rainwater that flowed over her breasts with his tongue, stopping to take each nipple in his mouth, sucking and gently nibbling. He kissed down between her breasts toward her belly button, kneeling as he did.

After scanning the horizon for any unexpected visitors that were not venison, Tom unbuttoned her shorts, sliding them off over her hips and down her legs. She balanced herself on his shoulder to step out of them. He eased her knickers down in the same fashion. She stood above him, legs slightly spread. He placed his hands on her knees, slipped them behind her legs and up the backs of her thighs to her ass. She spread her legs just a bit more as his tongue found her clit. He flicked back and forth with the tip of his tongue held firm. Then tracing her lips he tasted the sweet mixture of rainwater and her juices. He pressed his face deeper between her legs, feeling her hands in his hair, pulling him to her. His tongue now deep inside her, he moved it in circles, sliding along the inner walls of her pussy, feeling her squeeze down hard around it.

Lisa’s knees became weak as Tom continued his passionate assault. The rain continued to splash on their bodies, but they were now oblivious to it. She lowered herself down to the blanket on her back, knees bent, and his head still buried between her legs. He concentrated on her clit now with his tongue as he slid two fingers deep inside her, pumping them slowly at first then faster and faster. Her lips and clit swelled as she squirmed under his tongue. He stopped and she looked up. He got to his feet, slipped of his own shorts and underwear and lay down on his back.

Without a word, she positioned herself over him, straddling his face, her lips just above his cock. She felt his fingers and tongue begin their dance again as she took his cock in her hand slowly stroking from base to head. With the tip of her tongue she teased the slit in the head of his cock, then drew circles around and around the head. She gently played with his balls and she took some of his cock into her mouth, her tongue dancing over it, sucking. With this he sucked hard on her clit, driving his fingers deep inside her. She pressed back hard toward his fingers at the same time taking his cock deep into her mouth, sucking and licking. She matched the rhythm of his fingers as she pumped his cock in and out of her mouth, still playing with his balls. He thrust his hips to meet her mouth as he used his fingers to spread her pussy wide, burying his tongue deep inside her, drinking every drop of her juices.

“Stop, please, Lisa.”  Tom’s tongue stopped his husky voice hardly audible over the heavy rain on their heads.

With a reluctance, Lisa pulled back too, “Why?”

Without a word, he pulled her around and positioned her pussy just above the head of his throbbing cock.  They exchanged a longing and damp kiss, which tasted of cheese and wine and pussy juice and rain.

Lisa moved first, she used one hand to spread her lips wide and the other to guide his cock her waiting pussy. She slid the head of his cock back and forth over her clit and up and down the groove between the lips of her pussy. Guiding the head just inside her, she proceeded to lower herself on to him. Tom slowly pushed his hips up to meet her as she came down on him. Once completely lowered on him she rocked back and forth, squeezing down hard on him.  She leaned forward, bracing herself with her hands, so that her breasts were in reach of his lips and tongue. He took them in his hands and sucked each nipple in succession as she began to raise and lower her hips, squeezing his cock on the way up and slamming back down to meet his thrusts. Hard and fast, slow and smooth, she controlled the tempo, the rain coming down harder than before almost stinging when it hit them. He sucked, nibbled and licked her nipples, eyes closed to protect against the rain. She increased the tempo; harder and faster she moved her hips, her head lowered, concentrating on the feeling. She was ready to explode.

She sat upright again; her head tilted up toward the rain, finger furiously working her clit as he grabbed her arse and thrust his hips up hard to meet her. Faster and faster, his cock was burning, throbbing, ready to come. Her pussy swollen and on fire she was ready to come too. A few harder, fast and furious thrusts and he buried his cock deep inside her, coming hard. She leaned back, her pussy squeezing down hard then releasing, coming with him. Exhausted she collapsed onto his chest, his cock still inside her. He wrapped his arms around her and they lay there, rain slowing , but still washing over them.

“You’re all wet.”  Lisa looked over at him.

“That’s your fault, besides you’re naked.”  Tom looked back.

“And that is entirely your fault.  Want to come back to mine to warm up with hot chocolate?”

“Perfect end to a perfect picnic.”


End file.
